by william e. kelly think about it
Those who plan sooner rather than
later, have the great- est control over what is to come. Those
who don’t are at the mercy of others who may not be prepared to accommodate the physical, emotional and/or financial chal- lenges that come with your aging.”
PLANNING YOUR SENIOR YEARS My 60’s were spent trumpeting the impact of
the aging crisis our cities and nation are in the midst of and still extremely unprepared to address. A fact, particularly true for those living alone, without the ability and means to care for themselves. Our communities are ever so slowly awakening to just how serious a challenge this is and the impact it is going to increasingly have on all aspects of American
life...No matter what your age. I’ve written and lectured on aging in America, but
as of yet, I have not shared what my husband Bob and I are doing to prepare. Rapidly nearing our 70’s, it is much more difficult than we had ever thought it would be, because we really hadn’t positioned our remaining years for the most affordable, happiest and most fulfilling life possible. This is an intense process that cannot be taken lightly. It’s one of financial, health and social projections encompass- ing weeks and months of soul searching, number crunching, priority-setting and harsh reality checks. For us, it has been a three year, eye-opening project of serious considerations for our changing physical, mental and financial limitations, as we move deeper in to our 70’s, 80’s and beyond. As a couple, we are now clear on our priorities,
needs and abilities. We have weighed the pros and cons of moving or staying put in San Diego. Research proved that there is an affordable selection of housing for nearly every budget, but not every elderly community was friendly or supportive of its LGBT seniors. We settled finally on the Coachella Valley, where we found a true sense of senior, LGBT friendly and supportive community life and services. This is not a recommendation of the valley over San Diego, but a personal choice to making the best of what we have by way of the cards we hold. In an ideal world, it would not be necessary to move away from people we care deeply for, places familiar to us and the community where we have lived, worked and help build. But hey, nothing is fool proof perfect and as they say, “Life is what happens to you while you are planning something else.” Determined not to let it be a doom and gloom scenario, we have adopted the attitude that we can and will make the best of what we have, rather than bemoan what we do not. We knew the longer we delayed setting up a plan, the harder it would be to accomplish and the fewer options we would have. Those who plan sooner rather than later, have the greatest control over what is to come. Those who
don’t are at the mercy of others who may not be prepared to accommodate the physical, emotional and/or financial challenges that come with your aging. My advice after going through this exercise ourselves is simply to gain an understanding and an acceptance of your advantages, disadvantages and priorities. Think about your senior years and what is realistic, probable and possible. Accept that aging may not be the best of times, but it doesn’t have to be the worst. Understand that the kindness and mercy of strangers will be the only options for many. But, if you are reading this, there is a high probability you have options and advantages you haven’t explored and need to seriously consider. For certain, we left our teens at an agonizingly slow pace, our twenties and thirties went faster and by the time we hit our fifties, we thought the die was pretty much cast. We were wrong. I suggest that you too take a close look and make a plan to protect your well being in your senior years—when your youth is a memory and your days remaining—grow shorter and more challenging.
JUST THINK ABOUT IT!
JULY 2016 | RAGE monthly 55
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88